[Nhcoll-l] collections based database software

Thu May 21 15:06:05 EDT 2020

Amanda,

Arctos is cloud-based computing like gmail. It's accessed entirely through
web browsers. This has the advantage of never having to worry about loss of
data on local computers or maintaining backups yourself (I've had computers
crash & be stolen). Prior to moving to Arctos I had hundreds of thousands
of records in a home-made database on a computer in my office & I became
increasingly worried about the safety of the data. After spending a decade
and hundreds of thousands of dollars getting the data into a database it
becomes very very important that the data are safe. Buildings sometimes
burn or flood etc. Having all your data in the 'cloud' is very reassuring.
It's arguable that the data are safer than the specimens!

I've cc'd Teresa Mayfield who I'm pretty sure can help with providing you a
way to take Arctos for a 'test drive'.

Cheers,
Derek

On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:43 AM Amanda Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>
wrote:

> Dear Derek, Carla and Steve,
>
> Thank you all for your responses J.
>
>
>
> I do have a question a couple of questions: Can you download Arctos on a
> single workstation to try it out for a small representative sample of
> records to test it out?
>
>
>
> Steve, can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by “*I think that Sustain
> Specify making their code available is defeating the purpose of having one
> unified program that serves many users*”?   I am very new to this.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Amanda
>
>
>
> *From:* Derek Sikes [mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:51 PM
> *To:* Carla Cicero
> *Cc:* Ginzbarg, Steve; Amanda Bremner; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu; Arctos
> Working Group
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
>
>
>
> I've been happily using Arctos for the University of Alaska Museum Insect
> Collection <https://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/> since 2012 and
> am also happy to answer any questions about it.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Derek
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 10:12 AM Carla Cicero <ccicero at berkeley.edu>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Steve - Thanks for this email. I just sent Amanda a separate email
> suggesting that they also consider Arctos, with a few details about the
> system and community.
>
>
>
> We are happy to answer any questions Amanda might have about Arctos.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Carla
>
>
>
> On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 11:09 AM Ginzbarg, Steve <sginzbar at ua.edu> wrote:
>
> Dear Amanda,
>
>
>
> I am looking at Arctos, https://arctosdb.org/. I like their business
> model. If you want a feature and they think it will be useful to others
> they will incorporate it. If not, you pay them to add it. Cost of the
> software is based on number of specimen records.
>
>
>
> I think that Sustain Specify making their code available is defeating the
> purpose of having one unified program that serves many users.
>
>
>
> Many of the examples in the Darwin Core quick reference guide,
> https://dwc.tdwg.org/terms/, are from Arctos.
>
>
>
> Arctos has been around since the 1990s. I like their webinar tutorials.
>
>
>
> All data are securely stored at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
>
>
>
> Is anyone using Arctos who could comment on it?
>
>
>
> Steve Ginzbarg
>
> Assistant Curator
>
> The University of Alabama Herbarium (UNA)
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Amanda
> Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 20, 2020 9:34 AM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] FW: collections based database software
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> We are considering choosing a new database, either *EMu* by Axiell or *
> Sustain Specify*, for our Natural History collections (Zoology, Botany
> and Mycology, Geology and Paleontology).  The database we currently use was
> designed for use in libraries (Inmagic DB/TextWorks).
>
>
>
> Have any of you recently reviewed these two databases? Would you be
> willing to share pros and cons, beyond the fact that one is significantly
> more costly than the other?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Amanda
>
>
>
> *Amanda Bremner, *M.Sc.
>
> Curatorial Assistant/Adjointe à la Conservation des collections
>
> Department of Natural History/ Département d’histoire naturelle
>
> New Brunswick Museum/Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick
>
> 277 Douglas Avenue/ 277, avenue Douglas
>
> Saint John, New Brunswick/ Saint John (Nouveau-Brunswick)
>
> *Canada E2K 1E5*
>
> Tel: 506-643-7670
>
> Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca  ]
>
>
>
>
>
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> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Carla Cicero, Ph.D
> Staff Curator of Birds
> Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
> 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building
> University of California
> Berkeley, CA 94720-3160
> TEL: (510) 642-7868
> FAX: (510) 643-8238
>
> http://mvz.berkeley.edu
> https://carlacicero.net
>
> http://vertnet.org
>
> https://arctosdb.org
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_collections
>
> http://americanornithology.org/ <http://www.americanornithology.org/>
>
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>
> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
>
>
>
> --
>
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
> Professor of Entomology
> University of Alaska Museum
> 1962 Yukon Drive
> Fairbanks, AK   99775-6960
>
> dssikes at alaska.edu
>
> phone: 907-474-6278
> FAX: 907-474-5469
>
> University of Alaska Museum  -  search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
> http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all
> <http://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological
> Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological
> Network" at
> http://www.akentsoc.org/contact_us
>

-- 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK   99775-6960

dssikes at alaska.edu

phone: 907-474-6278
FAX: 907-474-5469

University of Alaska Museum  -  search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all
<http://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological
Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological
Network" at
http://www.akentsoc.org/contact_us
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